Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown appeared on ABC News Breakfast to discuss the political budget surplus, the Afghanistan conflict, dental care, preferencing of votes, and the Australian Greens National Conference.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown appeared on ABC News Breakfast to discuss the political budget surplus, the Afghanistan conflict, dental care, preferencing of votes, and the Australian Greens National Conference.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, Senators for Western Australia Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam, and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt spoke to the media about the Australian Greens National Conference in Fremantle, WA.Topics included the allocation of preferences, the environmental threats posed by developments in the Kimberley, and the Nationals' call for a "discussion paper" on coal seam gas.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, Senators for Western Australia Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam, and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt spoke to the media about the Australian Greens National Conference in Fremantle, WA.

Topics included the allocation of preferences, the environmental threats posed by developments in the Kimberley, and the Nationals' call for a "discussion paper" on coal seam gas.

Senator MILNE (Tasmania-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens) (11:44): I rise today on what is an historic day in the Australian parliament in the Senate. This is the day when the Senate will begin to consider the clean energy package and will start delivering on real action on climate change in Australia as these bills pass. It is an historic day in Australia and globally because it is the day on which the seven-billionth is expected to join us on the planet. We live on a finite planet and the non-renewable resources of the earth are under huge pressure. Equally, the earth's atmosphere, oceans and rivers do not have an unlimited capacity to absorb waste. That is why we are suffering the consequences of global warming already. Global warming is accelerating. In 2011, at the end of the first decade of this century, it poses the greatest threat to human civilisation and to the ongoing health and wellbeing of our fellow species and ecosystems with whom we share this beautiful planet.

Senator MILNE (Tasmania-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens) (11:44): I rise today on what is an historic day in the Australian parliament in the Senate. This is the day when the Senate will begin to consider the clean energy package and will start delivering on real action on climate change in Australia as these bills pass. It is an historic day in Australia and globally because it is the day on which the seven-billionth is expected to join us on the planet. We live on a finite planet and the non-renewable resources of the earth are under huge pressure. Equally, the earth's atmosphere, oceans and rivers do not have an unlimited capacity to absorb waste. That is why we are suffering the consequences of global warming already. Global warming is accelerating. In 2011, at the end of the first decade of this century, it poses the greatest threat to human civilisation and to the ongoing health and wellbeing of our fellow species and ecosystems with whom we share this beautiful planet.

The Gillard government's "rethink" on free trade is long overdue and the focus needs to shift in the short term to the government's headlong rush into the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, Australian Greens Deputy Leader Christine Milne said today.
"Australia should not trade away its health care, nor should it trade away its food security, local media content rules or Australian government procurement rules just because US companies want the right to sue Australian governments for damages on the grounds that environmental or other public interest laws could harm their investments," Senator Milne said in Hobart.
"The process and the text of the proposed agreement should be opened up to public scrutiny and evidence of benefits needs to be clearly established before these agreements are signed up to - as was not the case with the US FTA.
"Fair trade, not just free trade, needs to be the focus. There needs to be transparency and consistency on labour rights and environmental laws as well as an unreserved support for developing and least developed countries.
"A long-standing concern of the Greens has been the increasing difficulties faced by food producers when trying to compete against products produced with lax environmental standards and low wages. Free trade agreements which take no account of environmental laws or wage differences make it near impossible for farmers to compete with foreign-grown products no matter how efficient Australian farmers are.
"A Trans-Pacific Partnership FTA would also bring with it Monsanto's pressure regarding genetically engineered crops and their push to end labelling of GE foods, pressure from US corporates on Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme, and a push back on the plain packaging of tobacco.
"Just yesterday the Public Health Association of Australia warned that documents leaked from the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement talks outline US proposals for provisions that would raise the cost of medicines, extend the monopoly rights of drug companies and place new restrictions on Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme.
"The world needs a new trade regime that maximises food production where it can be grown best and which guarantees fair trade in food and equitable access for all.
"Instead of recycling old ways of thinking we should think about this century's challenges of sustainability in the face of huge population growth, including climate change, the growing gap between rich and poor, and the competition between China and the US for influence across the Pacific and beyond."

The Gillard government's "rethink" on free trade is long overdue and the focus needs to shift in the short term to the government's headlong rush into the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, Australian Greens Deputy Leader Christine Milne said today.

"Australia should not trade away its health care, nor should it trade away its food security, local media content rules or Australian government procurement rules just because US companies want the right to sue Australian governments for damages on the grounds that environmental or other public interest laws could harm their investments," Senator Milne said in Hobart.

"The process and the text of the proposed agreement should be opened up to public scrutiny and evidence of benefits needs to be clearly established before these agreements are signed up to - as was not the case with the US FTA.

"Fair trade, not just free trade, needs to be the focus. There needs to be transparency and consistency on labour rights and environmental laws as well as an unreserved support for developing and least developed countries.

"A long-standing concern of the Greens has been the increasing difficulties faced by food producers when trying to compete against products produced with lax environmental standards and low wages. Free trade agreements which take no account of environmental laws or wage differences make it near impossible for farmers to compete with foreign-grown products no matter how efficient Australian farmers are.

"A Trans-Pacific Partnership FTA would also bring with it Monsanto's pressure regarding genetically engineered crops and their push to end labelling of GE foods, pressure from US corporates on Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme, and a push back on the plain packaging of tobacco.

"Just yesterday the Public Health Association of Australia warned that documents leaked from the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement talks outline US proposals for provisions that would raise the cost of medicines, extend the monopoly rights of drug companies and place new restrictions on Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme.

"The world needs a new trade regime that maximises food production where it can be grown best and which guarantees fair trade in food and equitable access for all.

"Instead of recycling old ways of thinking we should think about this century's challenges of sustainability in the face of huge population growth, including climate change, the growing gap between rich and poor, and the competition between China and the US for influence across the Pacific and beyond."

Greens MP and spokesperson on Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Adam Bandt has congratulated two Melbourne based scientists who have been jointly awarded the the $300,000 Prime Minister's Prize for Science.
Professors Ezio Rizzardo (CSIRO) and David Solomon (University of Melbourne) developed new chemical theories that have had a big impact on the production of polymers, particularly in plastics.
"I want to congratulate two of Melbourne's great scientific pioneers," Mr Bandt said.
"This is a fantastic decision that highlights not just the ground breaking work of these two wonderful scientists but also the important research being undertaken in Melbourne."
"Science and research will increasingly underpin our economic prosperity and our shift to a sustainable society."
"This decision reinforces the importance of continued and increased government and business support for science."
Mr Bandt also congratulated the Stuart Wyithe from the University of Melbourne who has been awarded the Physical Scientist of the Year Award for work on the physics of the formation of the universe.

Greens MP and spokesperson on Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Adam Bandt has congratulated two Melbourne based scientists who have been jointly awarded the the $300,000 Prime Minister's Prize for Science.

Professors Ezio Rizzardo (CSIRO) and David Solomon (University of Melbourne) developed new chemical theories that have had a big impact on the production of polymers, particularly in plastics.

"I want to congratulate two of Melbourne's great scientific pioneers," Mr Bandt said.

"This is a fantastic decision that highlights not just the ground breaking work of these two wonderful scientists but also the important research being undertaken in Melbourne."

"Science and research will increasingly underpin our economic prosperity and our shift to a sustainable society."

"This decision reinforces the importance of continued and increased government and business support for science."

Mr Bandt also congratulated the Stuart Wyithe from the University of Melbourne who has been awarded the Physical Scientist of the Year Award for work on the physics of the formation of the universe.